1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to network systems and, more particularly, to a system and method for efficient matching of regular expression patterns across multiple packets.
2. Introduction
Deep packet inspection (DPI) systems can enable sophisticated services such as intrusion detection, traffic shaping, and load balancing. A key element of such DPI systems is a signature matching engine that is designed to match packet payloads to multiple known signatures. Increasing network speeds place an increased burden on DPI systems in accommodated the increased performance requirements. Prior solutions to date require addition of expensive external processors, often with specialized accelerator hardware. What is needed therefore is a DPI system and method that can perform efficient matching of regular expression patterns across multiple packets.